RMC developing Santee plans; design work underway on $3M center

“We are starting the planning process with our builders and architects. They are working on design work,” RMC President and CEO David Southerland said.

“The current Santee urgent care center location is very small,” he said. “There are only maybe three exam rooms. There is a small space and very small waiting area. It needs a lot of renovations.”

The hospital plans to build a larger urgent care center to provide primary care services in the Santee area.

The construction will be paid for with Orangeburg County capital projects sales tax money. County voters approved the additional 1 percent sales tax for construction projects throughout the county.

There is no timeline on when construction will begin or when the new urgent care center will open.

“We are doing what we call preliminary planning and specifications,” Southerland said. “We will look at how it is laid out, how many square feet we are going to end up having. It is very early in the process.”

In October, Orangeburg County Council agreed to transfer 1.52 acres of land to the hospital for an urgent care center.

The land is located near the Santee Recreation and Water Park on Bass Drive.

In addition to urgent care, the current Santee center also provides physical therapy and a Healthplex component, with weight training and cardio equipment.

“We will probably do some renovations there as well, maybe make it a permanent Healthplex location,” Southerland said. “That way we can make it a little bit bigger.”